1 At Savatthī. “Bhikkhus, this Kassapa is content with any kind of robe, and he speaks in praise of contentment with any kind of robe, and he does not engage in a wrong search, in what is improper, for the sake of a robe [266]. If he does not get a robe he is not agitated, and if he gets one he uses it without being tied to it, uninfatuated with it, not blindly absorbed in it, seeing the danger in it, understanding the escape. [267]

2 “Bhikkhus, this Kassapa is content with any kind of almsfood … with any kind of lodging … with any kind of medicinal requisites … and if he gets them he uses them without being tied to them, uninfatuated with them, not blindly absorbed in them, seeing the danger in them, understanding the escape.

3 “Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will be content with any kind of robe, and we will speak in praise of contentment with any kind of robe, and we will not engage in a wrong search, in what is improper, for the sake of a robe. If we do not get a robe we will not be agitated, and if we get one we will use it without being tied to it, uninfatuated with it, not blindly absorbed in it, seeing the danger in it, understanding the escape.

4 “‘We will be content with any kind of almsfood … with any kind of lodging … with any kind of medicinal requisites … and if we get them we will use them without being tied to them, uninfatuated with them, not blindly absorbed in them, seeing the danger in them, understanding the escape.’ Thus should you train yourselves.

5“Bhikkhus, I will exhort you by the example of Kassapa or one who is similar to Kassapa [268]. Being exhorted, you should practise accordingly.” [269]

Notes

[266] Spk discusses a threefold typology of contentment (santosa ):
(i) contentment that accords with one’s gains (yathālābhasantosa), i.e., remaining content with any gains, whether fine or coarse;
(ii) contentment that accords with one’s ability (yathābalasantosa), i.e., remaining content with whatever one needs to sustain one’s health; and
(iii) contentment that accords with suitability (yathāsāruppasantosa ), i.e., disposing of any luxury items received and retaining only the simplest and most basic requisites.
A translation of the full passage—from the parallel commentary to the Sāmaññaphala Sutta DN 2 (Sv I 206-8)—may be found in Bodhi, Discourse on the Fruits of Recluseship, pp. 134-37. Various types of wrong search (anesanā) are discussed at Vism 22-30 (Ppn 1:60-84).

[267] Spk: If he does not get a robe: If he does not get a robe he does not become agitated (na paritassati) like one who, failing to get a robe, becomes frightened and agitated and associates with meritorious bhikkhus, thinking “How can I get a robe?” Seeing the danger (ādīnavadassāvī): the danger of an offence in improper search and of use while being tied to it. Understanding the escape (nissaraṇapañña): he uses it knowing the escape stated in the formula, “Only for warding off cold,” etc. (On the formulas for the four requisites, see MN I 10,4-20, MN 2 -with detailed analysis at Vism 30-35; Ppn 1:85-97) This passage (and the parallels in regard to the other requisites excluding medicines) is found in the Ariyavaṃsa Sutta in a description of the ideal ascetic monk (AN II 27-29 [AN 4.28]).

[268] Kassapena vā hi vo bhikkhave ovadissāmi yo vā pan’ assa Kassapasadiso. Spk makes it clear that yo … Kassapasadiso should be construed as instrumental in force, parallel to Kassapena: “He exhorts by the example of Kassapa when he says, ‘As the Elder Mahākassapa is content with the four requisites, so too should you be.’ He exhorts by one who is similar to Kassapa when he says, ‘If there should be anyone else here who is similar to Kassapa—that is, like the Elder Mahākassapa—in being content with the four requisites, you should be so too.’”

[269] Tathattāya paṭipajjitabbaṃ. Spk: (He says:) “‘In this sutta on contentment the Perfectly Enlightened One’s responsibility (bhāra) is explaining the practice of effacement (sallekhācāra ), while our responsibility is to fulfil it by the fulfilment of the practice. Let us accept the responsibility entrusted to us’—having reflected thus, you should practise accordingly, as explained by me.”

Kassapa Buddha (Pāli), known as Kāśyapa in Sanskrit, is one of the ancient Buddhas whose biography is chronicled in chapter 24[1] of the Buddhavamsa, one of the books of the Pāli Canon.

According to Theravāda Buddhist tradition, Kassapa is the twenty-seventh of the twenty-nine named Buddhas, the sixth of the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity, and the third of the five Buddhas of the present kalpa.[2]

The present kalpa is called the bhadrakalpa (Auspicious aeon). The five Buddhas of the present kalpa are:[3][4]

Kakusandha (the first Buddha of the bhadrakalpa)

Koṇāgamana (the second Buddha of the bhadrakalpa)

Kassapa (the third Buddha of the bhadrakalpa)

Gautama (the fourth and present Buddha of the bhadrakalpa)

Maitreya (the fifth and future Buddha of the bhadrakalpa)

I feel that this is not the "Kassapa" spoken of in this sutta.

世尊在靈山會上拈華示眾眾皆默然唯迦葉破顏微笑世尊云The Lord dwelt at the Vulture Peak with the assembly and plucked a flower as a teaching. The myriad totality were silent, save for Kāśyapa, whose face cracked in a faint smile. The Lord spoke.

吾有正法眼藏涅槃妙心實相無相微妙法門不立文字教外別傳付囑摩訶迦葉。I have the treasure of the true dharma eye, I have nirvāṇa as wondrous citta, I know signless dharmatā, the subtle dharma-gate, which is not standing on written word, which is external to scriptures, which is a special dispensation, which is entrusted to Mahākāśyapa.

Coëmgenu wrote:I feel that this is not the "Kassapa" spoken of in this sutta.

Usually he is referred to in the Suttas as Mahākassapa (= Skt. Mahākaśyapa), though sometimes —as in the present case— it's shortened to Kassapa. This is actually his brahmin clan name; his personal name was Pippali.

“Bhikshus, those recluses and brahmins
who do not understand the earth element,
who do not understand the arising of the earth element,
who do not understand the ending of the earth element,
who do not understand the way to the ending of the earth element—
I do not regard them as recluses amongst recluses or brahmins amongst brahmins,
and these venerable ones do not, by realizing it for themselves with direct knowledge, attain and
dwell, here and now, in the goal of recluseship or the goal of brahminhood.

If only a certain user was here to witness this Buddhavacana. His vexations as to the nature of the earth element, greatly pontificated upon in the "Nāgārjuna and Theravāda" thread, could be easily ceased via exposure to Buddhavacana.

世尊在靈山會上拈華示眾眾皆默然唯迦葉破顏微笑世尊云The Lord dwelt at the Vulture Peak with the assembly and plucked a flower as a teaching. The myriad totality were silent, save for Kāśyapa, whose face cracked in a faint smile. The Lord spoke.

吾有正法眼藏涅槃妙心實相無相微妙法門不立文字教外別傳付囑摩訶迦葉。I have the treasure of the true dharma eye, I have nirvāṇa as wondrous citta, I know signless dharmatā, the subtle dharma-gate, which is not standing on written word, which is external to scriptures, which is a special dispensation, which is entrusted to Mahākāśyapa.

Coëmgenu wrote:I feel that this is not the "Kassapa" spoken of in this sutta.

Usually he is referred to in the Suttas as Mahākassapa (= Skt. Mahākaśyapa), though sometimes —as in the present case— it's shortened to Kassapa. This is actually his brahmin clan name; his personal name was Pippali.

Do you mean that indeed the "Kassapa" spoken of in this sutta is a particular being, not a class of beings?

世尊在靈山會上拈華示眾眾皆默然唯迦葉破顏微笑世尊云The Lord dwelt at the Vulture Peak with the assembly and plucked a flower as a teaching. The myriad totality were silent, save for Kāśyapa, whose face cracked in a faint smile. The Lord spoke.

吾有正法眼藏涅槃妙心實相無相微妙法門不立文字教外別傳付囑摩訶迦葉。I have the treasure of the true dharma eye, I have nirvāṇa as wondrous citta, I know signless dharmatā, the subtle dharma-gate, which is not standing on written word, which is external to scriptures, which is a special dispensation, which is entrusted to Mahākāśyapa.

Reflection at the Moment of Using the Requisites(LEADER)Handa mayamtankhanika-paccavekkhana-patham bhanamase:
Now let us recite the passage for reflection at the moment [of using the requisites]:
(ALL)[Patisankha yoniso] cıvaram patisevami,
Considering it thoughtfully, I use the robe:Yavadeva sıtassa patighataya,
simply to counteract cold,Unhassa patighataya,
to counteract heat,Damsa-makasa-vatatapa-sirimsapa-samphassanam patighataya,
to counteract the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, & reptiles;Yavadeva hirikopina-paticchadan’attham.
simply for the purpose of covering the parts of the body that cause shame.
...

[Curse PDF's with old-fashioned fonts that don't copy and paste properly! See the link for the passage with diacriticals...]